Latest E-Mail Newsletter

BigWaterProperties.com E-Newsletter

From Wayne Paulson

Specializing in Waterfront and Water View Properties

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NOTES FROM YOUR AGENT

Windermere Recycling Event

On May 14, Windermere is sponsoring a free recycling event for difficult to recycle items. The event will offer shredding for sensitive documents and recycling of desktop and laptop computers, monitors and televisions. Join us Saturday, May 14, from 11am to 2pm at 18570 State Hwy. 305, Poulsbo. Come hungry and you can join in the hotdog lunch to benefit the Windermere Foundation.

If you would like to help spread the word, click on the link below for a PDF flyer you can print and hand out, or email to your friends.

http://bigwaterproperties.com/docs/Poulsbo_Recycle_Event_Flyer.pdf

Pacific Coast Codfish Company Centennial

This upcoming month is very special for the citizens of Poulsbo and the greater North Kitsap area. We are celebrating the centennial of the Pacific Coast Codfish Company, one of the largest employers in the Poulsbo area at one time and a geographical icon on the Poulsbo waterfront. Please join the Poulsbo Historical Society, and the community of Poulsbo on Saturday, May 14, for the first program in our new evening presentation series.  Doors will open to the Heritage Museum at 5:00pm, with a fascinating presentation beginning at 7:00pm in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 200 Moe Street, Poulsbo, WA.

The Pacific Coast Codfish Company moved to Poulsbo at the current site of the Liberty Bay Marina in 1911. The company was founded by Captain J.E. Shields. His son Captain Ed Shields carefully documented the family business in a book titled Salt of the Sea that memorializes the industry. The presentation by the Shields family will share a photographic history of the industry, maritime memorabilia, and its impact on our young city.

The centerpiece of the evening will be a documentary that Captain Ed Shields filmed in 1950, the last year a commercial sailing ship left the west coast. The Shields family has also generously loaned the society numerous maritime artifacts collected from the cod fishing industry, which will be on display in the museum on the 14^th and for several weeks thereafter. They include navigation instruments, fishing gear, ship equipment, and scale models of the original sailing ships used by the Shields family. 

The museum will be open from 5:00pm to 9:00pm, with the presentation beginning at 7:00pm. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided. There is a suggested donation of $5 ($2 for PHS members). A raffle and small silent auction featuring an original Salt of the Sea book, an original photograph of the Pacific Coast Codfish Company housed on Liberty Bay, and original labels from the PCCC will take place throughout the evening.

As a member of the board of directors of the Poulsbo Historical Society, I would be honored to have you attend. For more information visit:

 www.poulsbohistory.org

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FEATURED HOME -- View Log Home

This month's view home exudes the rich, golden glow you can only get from a log house. It has a master bedroom view deck to enjoy the sweeping view of Hood Canal and the Cascade Mountains, and a roomy, well-appointed kitchen. The metal roof & LeafGuard® gutters keep the maintenance low. The detached two-car garage includes a shop and a second floor bonus space that could be converted to guest quarters -- additional septic system capacity supports it. The double lot has a flat rear lawn for BBQs overlooking the view and room for guests to park as well as RV parking and extra covered vehicle storage. Immaculate. Located on the beautiful and peaceful Olympic Peninsula, under 6 miles from the Hood Canal Bridge.

For more information click on the link below:

http://bigwaterproperties.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&page=14252

To see this home in person, drop by the Open House this Sunday. If this date isn't convenient, contact me for a private showing. 

      
     Date: Sunday, May 1, 2011  
     Location: 1473 Thorndyke Rd, Port Ludlow  
     Driving Directions: From Hwy 104 W at

     Hood canal Bridge, west 2.8 miles to left on

     South Point Rd. Drive 1.5 miles to slight right at

     the Y on Thorndyke. Home is 1.6 miles on the left.

     
If you would like to see open houses, click on the link below to search for all the open houses available this weekend in any neighborhood you select on the map. Just let the host know you are working with me when you visit.

http://www.windermerepoulsbo.com/westsound-open-houses

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MARKET STATISTICS AND GRAPHS

Statistics

Graphs

The graphs reached through the link below show the average market time, average list price and average sales price for homes over the past several years for North Kitsap County (NK), Southeast Jefferson County (SEJ) and Bainbridge Island (BI). At the time these graphs were created, the average sales price was 74 percent of the average list price for all listings in NK, 71 percent for SEJ and 74 percent for BI. These figures are down from historic levels. For just those properties that sold, the selling price was between 95 and 97 percent of the asking price at the time it was sold.

The graphs show that since early 2009, average selling prices have been hovering at levels last seen in 2005, with some relatively sharp swings around those levels. Over the month of April NK selling prices made a minor move down, SEJ prices continued a modest downward trend, and BI prices have move up modestly.

The sales rate is down compared to last year at the same time. The downturn is not as serious as it might seem at first glance. At this time last year a first time home buyer tax credit was in effect, shifting purchases into the early part of that year. There is no such program in effect now, so the volume represents only market forces at work. The tax credit ended April 30 of last year with an accompanying drop in sales for May. The May 2011 year to year sales figures should be more favorable.

http://bigwaterproperties.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&page=14270

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http://freddiemac.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=12329&item=34002

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USEFUL WEB SITES

The Washington State University College of Business runs a program called the Washington Center for Real Estate. One of the primary missions of the center is to provide data and analysis, much of which is available on their website. A quarterly report they generate is called the Housing Market Snapshot. One of the more interesting numbers it provides is the housing affordability index for Washington and individual Washington Counties.

The housing affordability index uses median income, median home prices, interest rates, and prevailing lending guidelines to calculate the affordability of homes. If a family earning the median income can just qualify for a median priced home at current interest rates, the affordability index is 100. A higher number means that a median income buyer has additional income beyond the minimum required to qualify, so homes are more affordable. A number below 100 means a median income buyer can't qualify to get a loan to buy median priced home with a 20 percent down payment, so homes are less affordable.

In December of 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors, the national affordability index was 181.1. The WSU report shows that the Q4 2010 index for Washington was 149.3. In Kitsap County, the Q4 2010 index was 154.4. In Jefferson County it was 118.7.

An historical table on the site shows that for Kitsap and Jefferson Counties, the recent low point for affordability was in 2007 at 88.9 and 67.0 respectively.

Not surprisingly, homes are currently the most affordable they have been since 2007.

To access the web site and a wide range of other real estate data, click on the link below.

http://www.wcrer.wsu.edu/default.aspx

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WINDERMERE LIVING

The spring issue of Windermere Living is now available on-line. Click on the link below to see some of the loveliest homes in Windermere's inventory.

http://issuu.com/windermererealestate/docs/windermereliving-spring2011

WINDERMERE E-NEWSLETTER -- Home Loans: What You Need to Know

While it's true that some lenders have made it more challenging to qualify for a home loan in the wake of the subprime crisis, a solid credit history and advance preparation will greatly increase the likelihood of turning your real estate dreams into a reality. The home loan primer in the current Windermere E-Newsletter serves as a good starting point.

The newsletter also contains average sale prices for 3-bedroom homes in some of the neighborhoods served by Windermere throughout the west and Hawaii. The figures are based on multiple listing data for homes sold July 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. To access these figures, go to the newsletter and click on Home Pricing Guide.

To read the newsletter, click on the link below:

http://www.waynepaulson.mywindermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.libraryHTMl&contentID=103447

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CAN I BE OF HELP?

If you or someone you know wants to begin the process of buying or selling property in Kitsap or Jefferson County, I would like the opportunity to help. I understand this is a long process, so "we are just starting to think about it" is OK. I'm never too busy for any of your referrals. You can reach me at:

   wpaulson@windermere.com

   Office: 360-779-5205 or 206-780-1500

   Home Office: 360-437-9508

   http://www.BigWaterProperties.com  

LINKS DON'T WORK? If clicking on the links does not work, copy the link and paste it into the address window of your browser. This is most likely to be a problem for users of AOL, but can occur for others as well.

You are receiving this e-newsletter because we have been in touch regarding real estate, or you are a friend and I thought you would find it interesting. If you do not want to continue receiving it, send a message to me at wpaulson@windermere.com with the words "Remove from e-newsletter list" in the subject line. It would help if you gave your name as well. Your name will be removed promptly.

I do not sell, lend, lease or otherwise make available any names or addresses on this e-mail list to any other organization for any purpose not directly involved in a real estate transaction to which you and I are parties.